Approximately 102,000 fans are expected to pack into Bryant-Denny Stadium to watch No. 1 LSU and No. 2 Alabama on Saturday.
The game, which has received hype that rivals some Super Bowls, will have its share of celebrities on hand.
Miami Heat superstar LeBron James will be at the game, along with fellow NBA player Chris Paul. Shaquille O'Neal, a former LSU Tiger, was rumored to be looking for a ticket.
Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, an Alabama native, expects to make an appearance.
From the music world, Kenny Chesney (Isn't he a Tennessee fan?), Hank Williams Jr. and rapper Lil' Wayne will be roaming the stadium.
If you watch ESPN's "College GameDay," you'll see former LSU pitcher and San Francisco Giants closer Brian Wilson picking games with Lee Corso.
A quick browse throughStubHub.comwill find you a $50 ticket to game. Oops, that's a parking-lot pass. Actually, ticket prices range between $400 and $1,000.
Stanford has Andrew Luck. And bettor's luck, it seems.
The No. 4 Cardinal are 13-0-1 against the point spread dating to last season.
According to a report fromPregame.com, if you had placed a $100 wager on Stanford's first win in the streak against Washington in October 2010 and let it ride, the winnings would have you up to $447,351 at this point.
And how about this scenario: Stanford was a 7 1/2-point favorite against USC last week, meaning when the game went to overtime, the only way those betting on Stanford were going to see cash was if the game went into triple-overtime with Stanford scoring a touchdown, a two-point conversion and holding USC scoreless. Stanford won 56-48 under that exact scenario.
For those wondering, Stanford is a 21-point favorite at Oregon State on Saturday.
No. 15 Michigan at Iowa . You've got to believe the Hawkeyes, who are still alive in the Big Ten Legends Division race, are steaming a bit after last week's dud at Minnesota. Michigan QB Denard Robinson has struggled against Iowa in two meetings.
10 . Good luck to those playing Ohio State in November. The Buckeyes have won 10 consecutive games in November dating to 2007. They're 14-1 in November since 2005.
In the words of Frank The Tank from the movie "Old School," "We're going streaking." Oklahoma State is looking to start 9-0 for the second time in school history (the first was in 1945). Meanwhile, Stanford , which has won 16 straight, is looking for its first 9-0 start since 1951.
Husky Stadium will be put on hold after Saturday's Washington-Oregon game. The stadium will undergo a $250 million renovation and the Huskies will be playing at CenturyLink Field, home of the NFL's Seahawks, next season. The waterfront stadium, with a setting nearly impossible to match in all of college football, has its share of memories, some involving the Huskers.
With all the buzz surrounding Alabama-LSU, some -- OK, many -- have forgotten there's another top-10 battle in the SEC this weekend. No. 10 South Carolina visits No. 8 Arkansas , and the loser can likely kiss its BCS hopes goodbye. It's the first time South Carolina has been involved in a matchup of two top-10 teams since the 1987 Gator Bowl, when No. 7 LSU defeated the No. 9 Gamecocks 30-13.
Revenge could be sweet . No. 7 Oklahoma will look to avenge last year's loss to Texas A&M when the Sooners host the Aggies.
Last week, Penn State , the only Big Ten team without a league loss, became the first league team to win five straight games, all in league play, by 10 points or fewer.
Not only is LSU-Alabama the toughest ticket to find, it's also the toughest media pass to get. Alabama expects approximately 600 credentialed media members. For an average game, roughly 350 credentials are granted.
Some teams not known for playing during the holidays can become bowl-eligible Saturday with wins: Wake Forest, Virginia, Rutgers ... and Texas.
Did anyone have a rougher October than Florida ? The Gators have dropped four straight games, a first for the program since 1988. The Gators went 0-for-October, losing to Alabama, LSU, Auburn and Georgia by a combined score of 120-47.
Justin Blackmon, Oklahoma State . The 2010 Biletnikoff Award winner is coming off his best game of the season, tying his career high with 13 catches for 172 yards. Now, he faces a Kansas State pass defense that just gave up 505 yards to Oklahoma and ranks 103rd in the nation.
Case Keenum, Houston . Keenum, the nation's leader in passing yards and touchdowns, needs 267 yards against UAB on Saturday to break the NCAA career mark held by Timmy Chang of Hawaii.
Darron Thomas, Oregon . The Ducks' QB, who led the team to the BCS title game last year, was benched in the second half of last week's win against Washington State in favor of freshman Bryan Bennett. Can Thomas, who isn't 100 percent healthy, bounce back in time for next week's showdown at Stanford?
Cincinnati . The surprising Bearcats have won five straight and are looking to take another step toward a Big East title. They travel to Pitt on Saturday.
Oregon . It's worth keeping your eyes on the Ducks. Stanford awaits next week, but Saturday's trip to Seattle is no walk along the ocean. Oregon's rushing offense should be too much for a Washington team that has been hurt by opposing ground attacks (see Nebraska). However, if the Huskies catch Oregon looking ahead, things could be interesting.
Copyright 2011 JournalStar.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Source:
No comments:
Post a Comment